Leader self-sacrifice and the architecture of legacy: a multi-case study on family firm longevity

Asi, Aiza;Floris, Michela;Argiolas, Giuseppe

2026-01-01

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Abstract

Legacy in family firms connects past, present, and future through narratives and practices that transcend economics. This study adopts a mechanism-first view, positioning leader self-sacrifice (LSS)—the voluntary acceptance of personal costs for collective benefit—as the antecedent that activates legacy dynamics. Using an inductive multi-case design across continents, we show how LSS triggers three facets of legacy: unintentional building, shared intentional transmission, and intentional preservation and reframing. Through narrative, socioemotional, and spiritual channels, these facets convert sacrifice into sustainability and predict business longevity. We clarify boundary conditions distinguishing sacrifice from suffering, highlight governance choices such as professionalization, and examine reciprocity in predecessor–successor relationships. The Leadership Legacy Sustainability Roadmap formalizes the causal chain of LSS, legacy facets, sustainability and longevity. This work advances socioemotional-wealth theorizing, specifies sequencing, and offers practical guidance for succession and strategy beyond crisis-specific contexts.